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It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will dip into the transfer market when the window reopens in January.

Jurgen Klopp completed the majority of his summer business in the opening weeks of the transfer window to bring Fabinho, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri to Anfield. The German also secured the signature of Alisson Becker from Roma for a then world-record fee which concluded his summer dealings. Liverpool have made an excellent start to the Premier League season and are just two points behind league leaders Manchester City.

Klopp admitted it would take a drastic event to occur to see him open his chequebook in the January window but there is always room for improvement. The former Borussia Dortmund manager has been willing to spend in the New Year in past seasons and should look to land Marseille wonderkid – Boubacar Kamara.

Valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, the defender has enjoyed a crucial role in the first-team despite being just 18-years-old. A graduate of Marseille’s youth academy, Kamara made a handful of appearances in the starting line-up last season but has made eight appearances in Ligue 1 already this campaign. The youngster has also started in three Europa League games for the French side.

The Frenchman is strong in the tackle and reads the game expertly; he has the potential to be one of the world’s best defenders one day. Kamara also excels with the ball at his feet, completing 90% of his passes this season, meaning he is ideally suited to Klopp’s system. Under the guidance of Virgil van Dijk, Kamara could become a world-class star in England and give Liverpool fans another terrific young talent in defence.

It won’t be long before Europe’s top clubs come calling if his impressive performances continue so Liverpool must move quickly to secure his signature.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

Jurgen Klopp is quick to praise all of the players in their squad, and the latest player to enjoy his moment in the spotlight is Roberto Firmino. Following his return to the scoresheet at the weekend vs Watford, Klopp praised the impact of Firmino beyond his goalscoring, as per the Liverpool Echo.

He said: “He is doing the job. That makes him so unbelievably valuable for us. I’m really happy with him”.

Klopp added: “It’s because of the small things he is doing, he is working hard, he is here, he is there, he has five goals now and he opens 5,000 gaps for everybody. It’s about how you see it”.

Clearly, Klopp views Firmino as one of his most important and most useful players, and he’s absolutely right.

Whilst the Brazilian may frustrate some fans with his relative lack of goals, in contrast to his rivals, what the attacker lacks in that regard he more than makes up in other ways. He’s simply fantastic with the ball at his feet, and his excellent range of passing, dribbling and his ruthless energy make him arguably the complete player.

Regardless of where he’s playing, he’s able to get involved with every aspect of play, and that’s the sign of a top player. When playing as a forward, he scores enough goals – he bagged 15 in the league last year – whilst he also effortlessly links up with the players around him. Indeed, Mohamed Salah wouldn’t have enjoyed such a good year last term without Firmino alongside him, that’s for sure.

When he’s playing as more of a number 10, though, that allows him to make use of his other qualities, namely his work rate and his fantastic range of passing. Whilst he may not score as often as he’d like in that role, his involvement in goals arguably gets even higher, and that’s a testament to his quality.

For Klopp, it clearly doesn’t matter where Firmino plays, as long as he’s on the field. He’s absolutely right, as Firmino is undeniably one of Liverpool’s best.

Thoughts?

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It is no secret that Jose Mourinho has had a few rifts with his players, to say the least. However, whilst almost everyone is pointing the finger at the Manchester United boss, Romelu Lukaku’s recent comments suggest that it may be the players in question who are the issue…

What did the Belgian say?

When asked how his previous spell under Mourinho at Chelsea went, Lukaku told Bleacher Report, “Working under him when I was 24 was totally different to working under him when I was 19, 20. When I was 19, 20, it was hard on me. The guy was tough. I was doing everything so well, but he was still tough.

“But now, at 24, I understand him. I understand him now. I became better. I improved as a player.”

Interestingly, most of Mourinho’s differences tend to be with the younger players within his squad, such as Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw. If the Belgian international’s words are anything to go by, it is the players who aren’t getting the message.

What do Lukaku’s words suggest? 

At Chelsea, the 25-year-old made just 15 appearances across his three seasons at Stamford Bridge, whilst also spending time on loan at West Brom and Everton.

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It was Mourinho who sold a then 21-year-old Lukaku to the Toffees for £28m, seemingly washing his hands with the striker who he appeared to have little faith in. It is telling, however, that the same manager splashed out around £75m to be reunited with him at Old Trafford.

As the former Anderlecht striker grew older, in his own words, he ‘understands’ Mourinho now. Rashford is 21. Martial is 22. Shaw is 23. They will undoubtedly mature into even better players, perhaps even world class players – the issue right now, however, seems to be that the players aren’t taking criticism in the way that the boss wants them too, according to Lukaku anyway.

This notion of tough love could also be great news and offer hope to Paul Pogba and summer addition Fred, who are still yet to really consistently shine under their Portuguese manager.

After a dreadful start to the season, Newcastle United made it three Premier League wins on the bounce on Monday following their 2-1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.

The Magpies now sit on 12 points in 13th place and undoubtedly have both the manager and players to climb further up the table in the coming weeks.

And one player in particular who could bring even more smiles to the faces of Newcastle supporters is Kenedy.

After a success loan spell at St. James’ Park during the second half of last season, £9m-rated (via Transfermarkt) Kenedy rejoined the Tyneside club back in the summer from Chelsea for the campaign in a deal Rafael Benitez was desperate to see happen.

The Brazilian, however, has yet to produce much considering all of his talent with just a sole goal accompanied with some very sub-par performances to his name.

At just 22 years of age, though, some inconsistency is expected, while Newcastle’s poor form as a whole earlier in the campaign did not do him any favours.

With the team now playing much better, however, and with the ability he possesses, Kenedy will only get better as the season progresses — which would obviously bode well for Newcastle.

The Chelsea loanee’s skill when it comes to beating a defender is world-class at times. If he can start to play the right ball after that, he could end up giving Newcastle so much more when going forward.

And under a coach like Benitez, there is no reason why Kenedy cannot develop into a winger capable of doing such on a regular basis.

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Swansea City have suffered a major blow ahead of their clash with Sheffield Wednesday this weekend – and for the remainder of their Championship campaign, in fact – as Martin Olsson has been ruled out with a ruptured Achilles injury that will ensure he misses the rest of the season.

The Swedish international has been one of the Liberty Stadium outfit’s most dependable performers since his switch from Norwich in the summer of 2017 but, after a successful operation, will now be out of action until the 2019/20 season, at least, as he undergoes rehabilitation.

Graham Potter’s men currently sit 12th in the standings on 29 points and this disastrous news may have all but dashed any hopes of reaching the play-offs as they are now set to continue without one of their senior players.

Here’s how Swans fans reacted on Twitter as they debated who may step up to the plate in the 30-year-old’s absence.

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Theo Walcott joined Everton in January, having plied his trade with Arsenal for the last decade. However, he has failed to light up Goodison Park, and Marco Silva’s ambitions for the Merseyside club may already have gone beyond what Walcott can offer them.

What’s the word?

Though it may not be a matter of urgency, especially with England under-21 star Ademola Lookman waiting in the wings, Silva may already be considering his options for replacing the 29-year-old former Gunner.

With the likes of Richarlison, Andre Gomes and Bernard having impressed since their arrival, Everton’s game has gone to another level this season. Walcott does not look to be keeping up. 

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However, there are players out there who the Toffees could target to bolster their attacking contingent even further and take them one step closer to their ultimate aim of gatecrashing the Champions League party.

Amongst these potential targets is Nicolas Pepe, who would be a brilliant addition at Everton.

The next Sadio Mane?

The 23-year-old wide man has been in blistering form for Lille so far this season. The Ivory Coast international has already racked up eleven goals and seven assists in just seventeen Ligue 1 outings. 

In terms of his prolific amount of end product, and style of play, Pepe is reminiscent of Premier League ace Sadio Mane, who currently plays for Everton’s bitter rivals, Liverpool.

The similarities are striking. Both began their professional careers in France; both boast the versatility to play anywhere across the front line; both possess absolutely electric pace.

In Pepe, Everton could find their own Mane, who could even light up the Premier League like the Anfield ace and who would certainly represent a significant upgrade on Walcott. 

According to the results of our recent poll, the majority of Everton fans would not support a move for free-agent and former Manchester City star Yaya Toure.

Marco Silva’s side bounced back to form with an impressive 5-1 win over Burnley on Boxing Day, but the Toffees are still noticeably short on strong central midfield options. Idrissa Gueye made his return to action against the Clarets having missed the previous two games but without him Everton look weak in the middle of the park.

One man available on a free transfer who could potentially solve this problem is 35-year-old Yaya Toure, but it is clear that Everton fans would not be keen. In fact, 67 per cent of those who answered our poll said that they would not back any such move.

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Toure recently left Greek side Olympiacos where he had been on a ‘pay as you play’ contract, and Sky Sports initially reported that the former Ivory Coast international wanted to return to play in the Premier League.

If the fans have any say though the three-time Premier League winner will not be arriving at Goodison Park any time soon. Check out the full results of our poll below.

Dean Smith has turned Aston Villa into one of the most dangerous sides in the league and arguably the best going forward. 

With the former Brentford manager at the helm, Villa now have one of the best managers in the game and one that could take them into the playoffs and possibly beyond. Villa are on a seven-game unbeaten run at the moment and go into their game with Leeds on Sunday three points off the playoff places.

It will be an incredibly tough game but Villa certainly have the firepower to trouble Leeds’ superb defence. Tammy Abraham is one of the best in the league and Yannick Bolasie is an incredibly talented winger when fit.

One area where the club has struggled of late is in goal but according to Football Insider Villa have agreed a deal for Croatian goalkeeper, Lovre Kalinic for £5 million.

The Breakdown

Orjan Nyland has played 20 times for the club this season but in truth, Villa have needed an upgrade on the Norwegian goalkeeper. In Kalinic they get an experienced player who is in the prime of his career and was incredibly impressive during Croatia’s UEFA Nations League campaign.

The club had been close to signing the Croatia international – who’s valued at £6.3 million – in 2016 only for the deal to fall through due to work permit issues. With the talent they have going forward, Jack Grealish in midfield and an improving defence, signing a goalkeeper is the last piece of the puzzle for Smith. With a better shot stopper between the sticks, Villa could be primed and ready to make a return to the Premier League.

Thoughts Villa fans? 

Liverpool’s trip to Wolves on Monday night in the FA Cup third round will reveal whether or not Jurgen Klopp takes the competition seriously amidst a serious charge for the Premier League title, but it could also potentially be both Alberto Moreno and Nathaniel Clyne’s last chance to salvage their careers at Anfield.

What’s the word, then?

Moreno has made just two league starts this season for the Reds, and even those have come as a result of Klopp’s preference to rotate his side throughout a congested fixture schedule. He recently confessed to the media that he is unhappy at the club as a result of his time spent on the bench, coupled with Klopp’s treatment of him, which will most likely have the opposite effect to the one he desired.

In Clyne’s case, he has made just a single league start, which came as a result of injuries to Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Milner, the latter of which Klopp prefers at right-back over Clyne even though he is a midfielder by trade – Cardiff are said to be keeping tabs on the full-back’s situation.

The first-choice full-back pairing of Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold looks unshakeable at the moment, and rightly so. Moreno and Clyne will need to impress and prove their worth to Klopp, or they will most likely be heading for the exit door very soon.

What is the likelihood of them starting?

The out-of-favour duo are very likely to start at Molineux against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, seeing as the league leaders had a very physically demanding game against the champions Manchester City on Thursday, just days before the FA Cup clash.

Klopp will not want to risk causing an injury to Robertson or Alexander-Arnold, as losing either of the full-backs could seriously hamper his side’s title challenge given their importance to the side.

The way in which Wolves play, with tricky wide forwards such as Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa, Morgan Gibbs-White and Adama Traore, Moreno and Clyne should see enough action coming their way for Klopp to judge their credentials – Liverpool are on their way back amongst Europe’s best, and they cannot carry any passengers.

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According to The Daily Star, reported via Sky Sports’ Paper Talk on January 8, Aston Villa are set to splash out £10 million on Sheffield Wednesday winger Adam Reach.

What’s the story?

The Villans could be set to bolster their attacking ranks with the addition of wide man Reach. It is unsurprising that the Owls are facing transfer interest in the 25-year-old as he has been in fine form this season, registering six goals and three assists in 25 Championship outings so far.

That being said, £10m would represent a large sum for Dean Smith to sanction for the purchase of Reach, especially as the acquisition of yet another winger shouldn’t be at the top of the Villa boss’ to do list. 

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With the likes of Yannick Bolasie, Anwar El Ghazi and Albert Adomah already on the books at Villa Park, Smith is well-stocked in this part of the pitch. However, if the report is true it tells you all you need to know about how the former Brentford boss feels about the Everton loanee, who is still yet to hit his stride for the Midlands outfit.

Not a priority

That being said, there are other areas of his squad in far greater need of investment, and Smith really ought to be focusing on defensive or midfield areas to take his side into the top six.

The Villa defence requires attention, as the lack of quality depth the club have available to them at the back could cost them later in the season if it isn’t addressed now. 

All in all then, striking an expensive deal for Reach shouldn’t be one of Smith’s priorities.